The invention relates to an assembly for bridging over expansion joints, particularly in bridges, parts of roadways or the like, by a sealing band of elastic material which bridges over the joint, which sealing band, for being secured in upward open cavities, includes thickenings substantially filling up said cavities and extending from joint edge profiles arranged on the joint edges to the opposite sides in the longitudinal direction of the profile, which thickenings include a support surface engaging in the inserted position with an appropriate inner surface of the cavity.
Such an assembly is disclosed in the West German Pat. No. 2,808,386. This known assembly comprises a non-trafficable sealing profile strip and therefore may be used only for very narrow joints, so that when it is exposed to increased tensile load or to a single sided vertical thrust, a split may open between the joint edge profile and the sealing band received therein, and moisture and dirt may penetrate into said split. In the long run this will damage the sealing band, and also the joint edge profile may be impaired due to corrosion.
Also in the bridging assembly disclosed in West German Pat. No. 3,131,804 and comprising a trafficable sealing profile strip, the penetration of moisture and dirt into the cavity of the joint edge is not absolutely excluded.